Monday, 16 January 2017

A New Year break to Alicante

I've never been away at the start of a new year before but this year, a friend surprised me with a couple of days away to a mystery location that was only revealed on the day itself.

I soon discovered that I would need my passport, which hubs sneakily offered up, and within just a few hours I was transported from wintry, frozen Birmingham to the much sunnier and warmer climes of Alicante. It was not what I was expecting at all and in next to no time, I had a change of scene and felt really relaxed. A world away from my normal routine.

I had only been through Alicante once, as a busy Spanish airport, en route to Benidorm, and had no idea what to expect. The hotel we stayed in had an exclusive level to it, with complimentary drinks all year round, a private infinity pool and stunning views of the castle and the beach and sea.

Over two days, we packed a lot in but still went at a really relaxed pace. The weather was 15-19 degrees by day so it felt warm compared to home and the sunshine was glorious - the pool was far to nippy to try out though! We ate lunch on the beach, shopped around the city (they had a Sephora so I was so excited) and enjoyed tapas in bustling diners and trendy cocktail bars.

We also visited the castle on the hill - just under 3 EUROS to travel in a lift to the top - and it had the most amazing panoramic views.

The flights cost around £50 return each, with just hand luggage, and it was just amazing to think how close we were to home - but how huge the change of scenery was.

The food was great, especially the breakfast banquet with everything from smoked salmon to cinnamon pancakes, the city was lovely to explore and the mix of town life, shopping and sea was fantastic. Alicante is a place you can really wander around with ease, with the main areas all walking distance from the centre and at this time of year, it's peaceful with few tourists.

Considering the price, it was an incredible break and I dare say a lot cheaper than going away somewhere at home.

I would definitely recommend a visit to Alicante and would love to take hubs, and maybe bubs, for a visit soon. Perhaps there's something to travelling somewhere else in January as a great way to blow away the cobwebs?